Former Test captain Dean Elgar revealed he felt “betrayed” after being abruptly removed from his leadership role last year, attributing his departure to internal politics and poor management within South African cricket.
Elgar, aged 36, now plays for the English county team Essex following his retirement from international cricket. He shared in an extensive interview with the Rapport newspaper that he refrained from criticizing his previous employer, Cricket South Africa (CSA), until his contract concluded at the end of April.
He recalled his tenure starting in March 2021, describing it as detrimental due to an unhealthy organizational culture. “I became a part-time cricketer and full-time politician, which I never wanted to experience. Had I known what the role entailed, I would have declined the captaincy,” Elgar stated.
The resignation of former captain Graeme Smith as director of cricket in March 2022 compounded the challenges for him, coach Mark Boucher, and the team management. Elgar found it tough to balance team needs with CSA’s administrative demands, which adversely affected his performance. “Looking back, I wish I had been more selfish and focused on my game,” he remarked.
The situation reached a head in February last year when he was unexpectedly replaced as captain by Temba Bavuma during a meeting with director of cricket Enoch Nkwe and new coach Shukri Conrad. Elgar felt this change failed to acknowledge his efforts and the team’s progress under his leadership. “From ranking sixth or seventh globally, we had become contenders for the World Test Championship final,” he noted.
Under Elgar’s captaincy, South Africa climbed the Test rankings with series victories over the West Indies, India, and Bangladesh. However, they experienced losses in England and Australia in his final series as captain. Conrad, who took over as head coach of the Test team in January 2023, justified the captaincy change by stating he felt “better aligned” with Bavuma.
Elgar, who maintained good relationships with his teammates, including Bavuma, captained his last Test against India when Bavuma was injured. He realized post-meeting that he needed to reassess his future. “Shukri Conrad is the reason why my Test career was cut short,” Elgar asserted.
He now enjoys a more positive cricket environment at Essex, where he holds a three-year contract. “I believe I no longer fit into the current or future South African cricket landscape,” he concluded.
Cricket South Africa has been contacted for a response.
